Océane Aqua-Black Gets Shameless: Breaking Records, Barriers, and Expectations with a Historic Debut Album

Jason Sargent Monday, December 22, 2025

- - Océane Aqua-Black Gets Shameless: Breaking Records, Barriers, and Expectations with a Historic Debut Album

Christine FitzgeraldDecember 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM

With Shame-less, drag superstar (from season two of Canada’s Drag Race) and pop provocateur Océane Aqua-Black isn’t just releasing an album – she’s making history. Clocking in at 83 minutes and 27 seconds across 23 tracks, the record officially becomes the longest album ever released by a drag performer, surpassing the previous record held by Ginger Minj. A Deluxe CD Edition, available exclusively through So Fierce Music, expands the experience to a staggering 31 tracks and a runtime of two hours, and comes complete with never-before-heard songs, photos, and lyrics.

Blending pop, dance, hip hop, rock, and electro with humor, honesty, and heart, Shame-less is a bold manifesto of empowerment and self-expression. In this candid interview, Oceane opens up about the two-year journey behind the album, the inspiration to go bigger than ever imagined, and why being unapologetically yourself is the most powerful statement of all.

Congratulations on the release of Shame-less. How does it finally feel to have this project out in the world?

It’s incredible since it’s been two years in the making. It’s been longer than I anticipated actually because I really wanted to write the entire album. I had the option of having a writer for the album, but I was more thinking I want to give myself to people, so I said to myself that I want it to be about me and I want it to feel authentic. So, I took the time to write each song and it’s been a whirlwind.

Yes, I can only imagine. Now, was there a moment during the process that it really hit you how ambitious and how historic that this project would turn out to be?

That’s a good question actually, because first of all, it was supposed to be a 10-song album but while I was writing and I was getting these new ideas, I was adding more and more. Like for example, if at the beginning I would’ve said, I’m doing a 23-song album, I would’ve said, no way. I’m not going to be able to pull that off. But, I don’t know, the inspiration and the creativity pushed me to do all of this – it was unplanned.

Your album officially broke the world record for the longest album released by a drag performer. What inspired you to create a project on such a monumental scale?

As I went through the project, I learned that my album was going to break the record. Initially, I didn’t think of that right at the moment. I just wanted to show people and tell my story with humor – and, of course, there are serious songs on the album. I wanted people to really live what I’ve lived, for example internet bullying and stuff like that is more serious… and the fact that I’m a black queen. That’s why the song “Black Excellence” is really treating about the struggle that I have being a drag performer and always have to battle to have my place in the community.

I didn’t think that it would break a record because I’m always so passionate about what I do that I woke up and my producer told me, “Do you realize what you are doing right now? It’s going to be major.” And I was like, oh my God I didn’t even notice.

Once you knew it was a record-breaking album, did it intimidate you or did it motivate you further?

Oh, it definitely motivated me because in the Drag Race universe, there are so many queens nowadays that if you want to step up and be ahead of the pack, you always have to reach for more. That’s what I wanted because Drag Race is a platform that they give us, but what you do afterwards will determine if you have a career. You cannot just sit and wait for things to happen.

Photo Credit: So Fierce Music

The album was crafted over two years. What was your creative routine like during that period?

It was based off what I experienced because, of course, my persona is always extravagant, so I wanted a lot of humor in it – but sometimes you have highs, sometimes you have lows. A way to cope with everything was to write and write, and sometimes it didn’t make quite sense at the moment, but after that I was like oh my God, I’ve got a new song.

Take the song “READDIT”, for example, it arrived at a point in my life, after Drag Race when one of my coworkers – I think it was out of jealousy – decided to troll on the internet and make my life a little bit more difficult and that really got to me. So, the way that I cope with that is to write and write, and that’s the inspiration behind the song _ and it’s not just about me. We have people in school that also experience bullying and now that social media is more and more present, it’s so easy to target people that way. So, the song is actually all my thoughts. The way that I that I got through this bad period in my life.

And if we take a song like “Bat Shit Krazy”, we all have those moments in life that we doubt ourselves that am I good enough for this? Am I cut out to do this? This is the kind of song that reminds you who you are and why you’re doing this, and it’s empowering. That’s the feeling that I want to give to people.

Some of the songs are very humorous, like “College Bois” and “Creampie.” What role does humor play in your music and in your persona?

First of all, those are crazy songs. I remember my younger days – because now I’m 40 years old – but I remember when I was 18 and 20 years old and I was discovering like the gay life and the LGBT community. Everything was fresh and new and I wanted to experiment and I wanted all of those things that I couldn’t have before because I come from a really small town, like next to cows and pigs and stuff like this. We didn’t have that gay life, so those songs were about the freedom of being who you are. If you want to sleep with anybody you want, go for it. Experience it. You have your whole life ahead of you. That’s the spirit of those two songs, basically.

Now on the other side of the spectrum, the album approaches topics like mental health and body positivity. How important was it for you to balance wilder songs with others where you’re a little more vulnerable?

It was really important because as drag queens, we always have to put upfront how strong we are. We are like heroes in our own ways, but even heroes have their struggles and that’s what makes us who we are. That’s why I don’t want to hide those doubts or those things that I have in my mind that happen to me. Maybe it happens to you. I always find interesting to find out that one of the people that you idolize feels the same things that you feel. It makes us human. And I think that’s the goal of us as drag entertainers. Yes, we’re fabulous. We have all of the jewelry and all those crazy costumes, but there’s a human being behind all of this. It’s always important for people to be reminded that when you watch a show like Drag Race some people are very hard on the queens, but it’s a show. It’s for people to enjoy and we have to remember that what matter, it can hurt someone.

We are not just objects, let’s just say that, so that’s why it was really important for me to touch subject on the album, to remind people that everything is fabulous, but it comes from a real person behind the art.

Photo Credit: So Fierce Music

One of the standout tracks is “F.A.B. (Fake Ass B*tch)”, which features Ra’Jah O’Hara, Kween Kong, and Silky Nutmeg Ganache. How did you get that powerhouse collaboration put together?

The opportunity came because once per year, before everything that’s happening right now in the states, we had DragCon. I did the ones in London, and it was a big opportunity to meet queens from different franchises, just like being sisters and stuff. And those are three of the people that I really connected with. We would spend the whole weekends together, so I wanted to have their collaboration of the album and the fact that it’s three powerful black women that come together to create a sort of anthem is really important to me because we want to represent, we want to be here. So, what’s funny actually is that when I asked them, they weren’t exactly sure of where I was going with everything and when we hit the studio, we created it while we were recording it. It was really interesting to see, and the song just came to life. I guess it was meant to be. And they’re so talented and so professional. It’s always nice to work with those kinds of people because you know that whatever happens, the final product is going to be massive.

What does it mean to you to spotlight black queens and black excellence in your music?

It is very important because I’ve noticed that when you are on Drag Race, you are like in this bubble and when you go out in the real world, you kind of realize that a lot of the time black queens take the second seats and what I mean is sometimes it’s not done in a rude manner. You know what I mean? Sometimes it’s just like they put on those festivals and those activities and they said okay, so we have that artist and that artist. Oh, we need a black queen. Oh, we need an Asian queen. But it’s not because we are black or we are Asian that you have to have us, you have to have us because we have talent. You don’t have to check a box to say oh, we’re open because we have that person and that person. So, the fact that we have this big collaboration and big numbers it’s a way to prove that we’re not just boxes to check. We are a powerhouse people and we can deliver when we want it.

You’ve got 23 tracks on the standard edition and 31 on the deluxe version. How did you decide which songs made the cut and which ones became exclusives?

I wanted the idea of the album to be like when people listen to the standard version, they get the idea of what I want to people to see from me. For example, you’ve got one that is called “Awakening” and it’s – if we can say it like that – the birth of me to the world. It’s more atmosphere, more like you don’t need this song to understand the whole point of the album, so that’s how I made my choices.

I actually recorded more songs for the album, but some didn’t make the cut because I wanted the album to have an idea. The theme of the album is shameless and it’s all about accepting who we are and stuff like that and some of the songs didn’t fit with that theme, but there are still good songs, so maybe for a follow-up project. Nothing is lost. But for the general theme of the album, I wanted to stay more in the empowering and more personal aspect of me, because having left second in my season, I thought also that people didn’t have the chance to connect fully as a girl that would’ve done 10 or 12 episodes, so it’s also my way of giving myself to the world.

Photo Credit: So Fierce Music

Now with all of those songs, and I know it’s like picking your favorite child, but do you have a favorite song on the album?

Oh my God, that is so difficult because I put so much energy in each of them that to pick one favorite. Oh my God. I. Oh, this is a tough one. This is a really tough one because I have so many different directions on the album. If I want to have fun, I’m going to listen songs like “Creampie” or “Gold Digger” but if I want to if I feel more relaxed, there are two very good slow songs that I love and, of course they’re ones that speak about my roots. “Black Excellence” and “Karn-Evil” are dearer to my heart because it’s pure me. I think the song “Shame-Less” is a great resume of the entire album in a way because when I think about everything that I say in the song, it’s all of the things that you can find in the album along the way, so I think it’s a great mashup of everything.

There’s “TRENDY” that is really dear to my heart because it’s an anthem for gay people and if you want to be sassy and go out at night and all of those little things, I think it’s good too. “Dress Code”, I really love because it takes you back to the ballroom – which is also in my roots and I’m paying homage to all of the queens in Canada that I met at Drag Race and the whole experience and what they brought to represent the country.

Now you’ve named the album Shame-less so to you, like what does it truly mean to be shameless?

For me, it means that to not be afraid to speak up. I think that’s the main part. Do not be afraid to speak up. Do not be afraid to say exactly what you want, what you like, what you don’t. Because everywhere you’re going to find people that will like it, and everywhere you’re going to find people who will not like it. You can’t always please everybody, so just be you, because if you are not, the only person losing is yourself. Other people don’t care if you like to sleep around. Sleep around. It’s not any of their business. If you like to get together with some friends and drink your life away, do it. Some people will have judgment on it, some will not.

I think it’s because drag queens are sometimes so preoccupied by their image – and, of course it’s good to have a great image. I’m not saying that’s wrong. But don’t lose yourself in it because again, because of social media today, a lot of people are so much careful about what they say.

If I’m not mistaken, I think [Drag Race] was a little bit better in the early seasons, like seasons 4, 5 and 6. And a reason why is because people weren’t afraid of telling things exactly how they felt it. Nowadays, it’s more people are cautious of the backlash of the fans, how they’re going to be perceived on TV. It’s okay, but I think you lose your authenticity. And it’s the same with my album. It’s me. You can like it or not, but I’m not going to stop to be me because you don’t like it.

Photo Credit: So Fierce Music

What do you want audiences to take away from Shame-less?

I want them to have fun. Let loose. Don’t take anything too seriously. A lot of people take everything way too seriously. Just have fun. Enjoy the moment because now that I’m 40 years old, I realize that yesterday I was 25 and it just goes by so fast.

I can say that I may have some regrets in my life and that’s also one part of Shame-less, is to not be afraid to do what you want to do in the moment, because once it’s passed, it’s too late. It’s just passed, and you may have lost a great opportunity along the way. That’s the big idea.

You have enough probably for another album, but what else is coming up for you? What’s next for you?

Oh my God, there is so much! I’m currently focusing on new visual projects because I want to pair my music with videos. I’ve only released one video since I finished Drag Race, and I really want the new songs coming out next year – and maybe some from this current album – to have a visual component. Music is one thing, but seeing the visual is a whole other experience; it shows people exactly how I see things.

Beyond that, there’s going to be a tour associated with the album, which I am so excited about! But the biggest news is a project called ‘Black Excellence’ happening next year. It’s going to feature Black queens from across the franchise: from Canada, the US, the UK, and even Drag Race Down Under.

I want this show to be a representation of what Black queens can do when they are in charge of an entire production. We are currently in talks with several promoters and sponsors, and there is a lot of interest. We already have some dates in mind and are just confirming the details, so I don’t want to say too much yet – but it’s happening. We specifically want to visit places that don’t get Drag Race tours often. Tours always hit Toronto or Vancouver, but Canada is a big country, and we want to reach the fans who never get the chance to see their favorite queens in person.

And I’d love to see you on Canada vs The World

That would be If they asked me, I would return and I’m sure that my experience could be really different because it was my first time around and when you know what’s going to come your way, you feel more confident and more prepared, so yeah, I’m quite prepared. In my season, I bombed my singing challenge and that’s what actually gave me the push to go into music and say, no, I’m not going to take that as a failure. I want to improve on that level. And now I have an album!

Shame-less is available now on all streaming platforms, with the Deluxe Edition CD available exclusively at SoFierceMusic.com. Follow Océane Aqua-Black on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.

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